Land Adjacent To Hayle Place, Cripple Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6DW

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the site is a suitable location for housing having regard to development plan policy and accessibility to services and facilities
• whether the proposed development would preserve or enhance the setting of the nearby listed building and the character or appearance of the Loose Valley Conservation Area
• the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
• the effect of the proposed development on trees
• the effect of the proposed development on ecology
• whether the proposed development would make adequate provision for affordable housing

What decided it

The proposal conflicts with the development plan on multiple grounds—unsuitable location, heritage harm, inadequate ecological survey, tree protection concerns, and lack of affordable housing—and material considerations do not indicate the appeal should be decided otherwise.

The limited public benefits of nine dwellings and associated social and economic benefits did not outweigh the less-than-substantial harm to the significance of the listed building and conservation area, particularly given the Council's demonstrated five-year housing supply.